Bloodstar's Beginning
by SpiritGirl183
Summary: Side Story to Seasons of Life, Shadows. Every cat knew Bloodstar as the bloodthirsty leader with horrid ambitions; but none fully know the story of his past. Join Bloodstar as his story is told, from kithood to murderer. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**me: Bloodstar, no one ever thought of how you became the treasonous murderer you are today. How does that make you feel?**

**Bloodstar: Murderous. (he looks to me and I back away slowly)**

**Please R&R!**

**Chapter 1**

Bloodkit slit his eyes, gazing intently at the rising sun. His brother, Duskkit, was fast asleep with his mother in the nursery, and the other warriors were just starting to stir in their nests.

The milky light of the dawn warmed his brown tabby fur, and he closed his eyes in contentment. For a moment, the world was at peace, and only the slightest breeze stirred the reeds beneath his feet.

A slight rustle behind him made Bloodkit's eyes snap back open, and he heaved a great sigh as Leopardpaw exited the medicine den.

"Hey, Bloodkit. How's that bellyache of yours? Feeling better?" Leopardpaw asked in her sweetest voice, and Bloodkit rolled his eyes. Leopardpaw always treated him as if he were a newborn kit.

He turned toward her a forced a kind, "I'm fine now, thanks." and padded away before she could say another word.

Skullpaw and Juniperpaw were just emerging from the apprentices' den, bouncing and skipping toward the warriors' den to fetch their mentors.

"Come on, the dawn patrol's about to leave," Skullpaw urged, and Reedclaw and Bluefrost sleepily staggered out into the clearing. Bloodkit felt something flutter inside him, which he only knew as envy.

_How come I can't be apprenticed yet? I have more sense than they do. _Yet Bloodkit knew that it was only part of the warrior code.

Now, the camp was fully awakening, the patrols of the day being organized by Waterstorm and Hailstar.

"Bloodkit? Where are you?" Wildflower's call alerted Bloodkit, and he trotted over to her with bright eyes.

"Mother? Can you tell Duskkit and I a story?" Bloodkit asked hopefully, and Wildflower's green gaze softened. She licked her kit between the eyes.

"Of course, my love," She purred, "But why don't you wait until your brother wakes up first?" Bloodkit nodded, but he kneaded the ground with his paws impatiently. He glanced longingly at his brother, and Duskkit stirred. His ears pricked up, and his green eyes blinked open sleepily.

"Good, You're up; mother's going to tell us a story." Bloodkit nudged his brother, making him squeak in protest. Wildflower instructed the kits to sit, and started to speak with her tail wrapped around her paws.

"Have you heard the story of Runningbrook?" The kits shook their heads. Wildflower continued to tell the story of a brave young she-cat who went on many strange adventures, and told of how she belonged to the once great SeaClan. SeaClan had lived by the sun-drown-place near the Twisted Willow. She told of many daring escapes and truths, and she told of how the great Clan fell and scattered until all thoughts of it were lost.

Bloodkit's crimson eyes glittered. "How can a Clan fall, mother?"

Wildflower shifted uncomfortably. "If the leader, or Clan, is weak, and if the attackers are strong, then a Clan…could fall." Wildflower's gaze clouded, her mind distant.

Ambition glowed in Bloodkit's eyes, and his tail lashed. Would he ever become that strong; strong enough to take over an entire Clan?

Duskkit looked at his mother expectantly. "Is that the end?" Wildflower nodded slightly. Duskkit cocked his head. "Why is the ending so sad?"

"Because," Wildflower mewed, "SeaClan never had a happier ending." Clearly disturbed by the thought, Duskkit lowered his head; seeing the kit's disturbance, Cloverwillow, the only other nursing queen, meowed quickly, "Come along now, why don't you play outside?" Bloodkit caught on, and he nudged his brother outside into the morning air.

By now, the whole camp was up and moving, and Bloodkit and Duskkit had to avoid the stumbling paws of the warriors as they padded around the clearing.

Bloodkit stopped and turned toward his brother. "What do you think about that story? I want to know more about _how _they fell."

Duskkit shrugged. "I think it was sad. But," He cocked his head to one side. "Why do you want to know how they fell?"

Bloodkit snorted, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but didn't answer. Instead, he picked up some leaves and threw them at his brother's face.

"Bet you can't catch me!" He squealed, and Duskkit's gray tail shot into the air. He streaked after his brother

"Bet I can!" He yowled, and he chased Bloodkit around the clearing. Bloodkit swerved in every direction, trying to shake off his brother. "I am Bloodstar, leader of MistClan; you can never catch me!" Bloodkit taunted his brother as Duskkit skidded along behind him.

"Well, I'm Whiteclaw, the most dreaded warrior in GhostClan!" Duskkit squeaked; he tore off the end of a ravaged leaf and stuck it on his ear, imitating the tag on Whiteclaw's ear. "Rarr! I'm coming!" He grumbled in a deeper voice, and Bloodkit chuckled as Duskkit tumbled into him. The kits rolled on the ground for a moment, too distracted in their tussle to notice that they had rolled out of camp.

Bloodkit swatted his brother with a paw, purring. Suddenly, his ears perked up and he sniffed the air. A strange, foul scent washed over him, and he crinkled his nose.

"What is it, Bloodkit?" Duskkit whispered, clearly smelling it too. There was a rustle in the reeds and a splash in the river.

Curious, Bloodkit padded over to the reeds, parting them slightly to see what lay beyond. He almost gasped out loud.

A fox lay on the riverbed, attempting to catch a fish. It growled in frustration as the silver scales slipped through his paws, and Bloodkit heard him murmuring to himself.

"Stupid fish, how come a cat can catch you and not myself? Frenzy can't catch his food to save his life." Bloodkit's whiskers quivered. Had this fox cub spoken cat?

"Duskkit did you hear that? That fox just spoke _cat."_ Blookit breathed, and Duskkit nodded in bewilderment.

The fox suddenly sniffed the air, and a snarl erupted on his lips. "Someone is eavesdropping on Frenzy, are they not?" He whipped around, his sharp yellow gaze trained on Bloodkit's hiding place.

The kits froze, not daring to breathe as the fox prowled toward them, its long snout twitching as it sniffed the air.

Duskkit suddenly darted out of the reeds, and the fox, snarling, followed in hot pursuit. "Duskkit, no!" Bloodkit wailed, and he dashed after his brother, behind the fox.

A squeal and a thud alerted Bloodkit, and he saw that the fox had caught up to his brother. A wail from Duskkit was abruptly cut off as the fox bit down hard.

Bloodkit skidded to a stop, tears welling in his eyes. Rage and grief overcame him then, changing him forever.

A loud hiss came from the undergrowth, and Bloodkit watched as Bluefrost lunged at the fox, teeth bared. The fox staggered in surprise as Bluefrost leapt onto its back, tearing viciously at its throat. Nightpaw, his apprentice clawed at its flanks, making it screech in pain. Bloodkit watched the battle through glazed eyes, unaware of the danger he was in.

Finally the fox fled to the river, whimpering. "Why hurt Frenzy? Frenzy so _hungry._" The fox whispered, and Bloodkit noticed how frail the cub looked as if he had not eaten in days.

Bluefrost heaved a ragged sigh, finally spotting Bloodkit cowering only tail-lengths away. "Bloodkit! What are you doing? You should be in camp." Bloodkit padded forward, tail drooping, toward his brother.

Duskkit lay still on the ground, a deep bite in his throat. His breathing was ragged, and was growing fainter with every breath. Bloodkit stood above him, his head rested on his brother's hardly rising flank.

"Bloodkit," Duskkit whispered, and Bloodkit strained his ears. "Tell…mother…wasn't your…fault." Duskkit sighed a ragged sigh, and lay still. Bloodkit buried his muzzle in his brother's cold gray and white fur, pain and sorrow piercing his heart. How could these warriors let him die, standing not far away with unreadable faces? Rage rose like bile in his throat, never threatening to leave.

Bluefrost attempted to lay his tail on Bloodkit's shoulder, but Bloodkit hissed and nudged him away. Bluefrost stood another minute, then gently picked up Duskkit in his jaws and carried him back toward camp.

Hailstar bowed his head, mourning for the loss of such young life. "I am sorry, Wildflower. We shall all grieve for the loss of Duskkit; so young, and already he has joined the ranks of StarClan." He rested his brilliant green gaze on Bloodkit, now alone in his Clan. Bloodkit turned away, not wanting his leader to see his tears.

But Hailstar only stared at him with sympathy. "It is alright to weep openly, Bloodkit, for weeping can clear the heart so love can fill it through." Wildflower nodded, grief clouding her soft green gaze, and kit and mother settled in to wait through the night.

All through the silent vigil, Bloodkit dozed, only to be awakened by the memory of his brother wailing as the fox finished him off. He also wondered how the fox had learned to speak cat, but the thought was like a fly buzzing near his head, easily swatted away.

Soon, the warmth of a new dawn entered the camp, promising a fresh start. Bloodkit stirred near his mother, who was crouched over her kit without moving.

Bloodkit felt bitter, hard and cold as stone. His brother's death had instilled a need for revenge against those who opposed him or his Clan.

_I can never feel for anyone or anything so strongly again; power is the only healer of pain and sorrow._ Bloodkit thought coldly. He realized with a pang that this was the day that he and Duskkit were to receive their apprentice names.

Wildflower groomed Bloodkit's pelt slowly, grief weighing her every movement. Bloodkit felt sorrow gnawing his own stomach, but he forced it back; he could no longer show weakness. That is what brought Duskkit to his death.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Reedledge for a Clan meeting," Hailstar yowled, and the MistClan cats emerged from their dens.

"Despite the sudden death of Duskkit, Bloodkit will become an apprentice, on schedule," Hailstar mewed, and Bloodkit made his way toward his leader. He saw Leopardpaw and Juniperpaw staring at him with sympathy, but Skullpaw only looked ahead without a glance toward the kit.

Quickpaw shifted next to Skullpaw, and for a second shared a glance with Bloodkit. Bloodkit leapt onto the Reedledge, a dull ache in his heart.

"Bloodkit, from this day until you are done with your training, you shall be known as Bloodpaw. Sweepwhisker, you shall mentor Bloodpaw and teach him your patience and skill."

Bloodpaw held in a snort of sarcasm, and went to touch noses with his new mentor. Sweepwhisker gave him a sympathetic glance, but Bloodpaw ignored it.

Skullpaw and Juniperpaw padded up to him, light in their eyes. "Hey, Bloodpaw. Why don't we show you the apprentices' den? We made you a nest." Bloodpaw didn't respond, just grunted and followed them inside.

A small voice inside his head whispered temptingly, _Come now, Bloodpaw. if you're such a grouch all the time people will be suspicious._ Bloodpaw heard this, and forced a smile at Juniperpaw. "I love this, really guys. I was just a bit…" he trailed off, eyes clouding. He remembered the story his mother told him about Runningbrook and SeaClan.

"Why don't you leave him alone for awhile, apprentices? Bloodpaw has been sitting vigil all night." Juniperpaw gave him one last sidelong glance with mourning gray eyes, but then followed her brother outside.

Bloodpaw curled up in his new nest, feeling comforted by its warmth. He fell asleep almost immediately, the song of the birds lulling him into unconsciousness.

**And so it began...please review, second chapter comin' soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey. Sorry for the slow update, but Chapter 2 is here! Please excuse the review to myself; I was new and was trying to test the review system, in hopes that I would be able to delete it afterward. But alas, I don't know how to delete reviews:-(! So, just ignore it!**

**Here it is. Enjoy.  
**

**Chapter 2**

Bloodpaw opened his eyes groggily, feeling a paw prodding him awake.

"What, Duskkit? What…" Then Bloodpaw remembered. His brother had been killed by a fox, and he had become an apprentice without him.

"Come on, Bloodpaw. It's time for the dawn patrol and Sweepwhisker wants you to go." Skullpaw murmured, and Bloodpaw shuffled to his paws.

_My first steps to becoming a warrior_, He thought, and followed Skullpaw out into the clearing. Bluefrost, Sweepwhisker, Nightpaw, and Juniperpaw were waiting outside, and Bloodpaw followed them out of the reeds.

Excitement filling his pawsteps, Bloodpaw raced ahead of the patrol eagerly. Juniperpaw chuckled. Bloodpaw reached the reeds where him and Duskkit had spied on the fox cub, and frowned with memory.

_Duskkit, no! _He heard his own words echoing in his mind, and he shook his head to clear it. Nightpaw padded up to him, sniffing at the reeds.

"Come on, we'll show you the border," She offered, but Sweepwhisker shook his head at her sternly.

"He's not your apprentice, Nightpaw. Bloodpaw, follow me." Sweepwhisker padded through the reeds, and Bloodpaw tentatively followed.

The border stream was lively and chattering, its sweet water splashing Bloodpaw's face. He grinned, and followed his mentor as he showed him how to mark borders.

"This river is our border with MoonClan _and _GhostClan," Sweepwhisker meowed, and Bloodpaw's eyes widened. What a sight, one river to border two Clans!

Bloodpaw marked the border and followed his mentor to the EmberClan border. They headed upstream, toward what Bloodpaw heard of as FourSeasons. A wide stretch of moorland lay before the patrol, and he gasped as a biting wind matted his fur.

"EmberClan really lives here?" Bloodpaw asked warily. How could they live with so much space, and no trees or reeds for cover?

Sweepwhisker shrugged. "Yes, they do. I can't understand why though, because it's so open." The patrol looked on for a while longer, then headed back downriver.

Bluefrost stopped the patrol at the edge of the river. "Bloodpaw, I believe it's time you learned to fish." he said, and Bloodpaw squealed in excitement but stopped when Sweepwhisker gave him a look.

Sweepwhisker padded up to the river's edge and sat down. He raised a paw, and made sure his shadow never cast over the water. A flash of silver caught his eye, and with a quick flick of his paw the fish was thrown out. Sweepwhisker pinned it to the ground with one paw until it lay still.

Bloodpaw stared in amazement. "How did you do that?" he exclaimed, and Sweepwhisker let out a purr of amusement.

"If the fish weren't scared away by your outburst, I can show you." Sweepwhisker mewed, and Bloodpaw bounced up to the water's edge. Immediately he saw a flash of silver, and he swiped at it; but it was too quick, and he stumbled with a splash into the river.

Nightpaw let out a _mrrow_ of laughter, and Bloodpaw twitched his whiskers in annoyance. He shook the water from his pelt and got out of the river, his fur plastered to his skin.

"Not so simple, is it Bloodpaw?" Bluefrost purred, and Bloodpaw licked his sodden coat to hide his embarrassment. He padded up to the edge slowly, careful to listen as Sweepwhisker explained how to hunt.

"Now, make sure your shadow never hits the water, for that alerts the prey." Sweepwhisker explained. "If you see a fish, aim your paw at where its swimming to and—" he dabbed at the water with a paw, and pretended to catch a fish. "Like that. Now you try." Bloodpaw nodded. He sat patiently for what seemed like a moon, and finally saw a streak of silver coming towards his spot. Sweepwhisker pushed him into place, and Bloodpaw darted his paw right when the fish reached the spot he was aiming for.

"Good! Now hook it in a claw and pin it to the ground." Sweepwhisker instructed. The fish felt slippery in Bloodpaw's paws, and he pinned it to the ground with great effort. The fish was big and plump, and he felt a burst of pride as it stopped wiggling altogether.

"Well done, Bloodpaw." Bluefrost praised, and Bloodpaw saw Nightpaw slit her eyes. He guessed that she didn't like her mentor praising another apprentice besides herself.

_Envious?_ Bloodpaw thought with a smirk, and he trotted back to camp with his fish in his jaws.

"Bloodpaw! Bloodpaw! Oh, there you are." Juniperpaw raced up to Bloodpaw as he exited the elder's den where he had delivered his fish.

"What is it?" Bloodpaw asked, and saw that Juniperpaw looked anxious and confused.

"There's some trouble at the MoonClan border." she meowed breathlessly, and Bloodpaw nodded in understanding. He helped Juniperpaw round up Mottledfur, Wildflower, Grasswhisker, Badgertail, Reedflower, and Bluefrost.

The new battle patrol dashed out, leaving Bloodpaw behind. "I can't battle, because I don't know battle moves." Bloodpaw repeated the words told to him by Reedflower as she exited the camp. He snorted, then went to collect moss.

Bloodpaw padded over to the apprentices' den, counted how many nests needed moss, and left the camp to gather some. Along the way, he came across a new scent, one that smelled of the pines.

As he stopped to sniff the air, a shape tumbled into him, knocking him backwards. He puffed, out of breath, as a she-cat staggered to her paws.

"Sorry." she said breathlessly. She was a beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with indigo eyes. Bloodpaw felt his ears grow hot, and the two apprentices stood in an awkward silence. "Here, let me help you pick up the moss." The apprentices picked up the moss in silence, piling it until it was all collected.

"My name's Dappledpaw," the she-cat said, dipping her head. "What's yours?"

Bloodpaw found his voice. "Bloodpaw. Are you from GhostClan?" he smelled her rank scent, but found it slightly sweet and comforting.

"Nice to meet you, but I have to go back to my Clan." the she-cat avoided the question; Dappledpaw dipped her head again, and padded away. Bloodpaw stared after her, and remembered his moss. He gathered it and placed it quickly in the den.

Soon after he had finished, the battle patrol returned, looking ragged and bloody. Bloodpaw's crimson eyes widened, but something inside him made him brim with satisfaction.

_Now who's half-dead and bleeding?_ He thought with scorn, but he approached to help anyway.

Leopardpaw and Jaycall were dashing out of the medicine den, herbs in their jaws and worry in their eyes. Bloodpaw watched as the cats set to work, patching up the wounds and sending the warriors on their way.

In a few moments, all of the warriors were tended and could go back to their duties. Bloodpaw slit his eyes, lost in thoughts of revenge.

"Their really quick, huh?" Bloodpaw jumped as Juniperpaw's voice sounded behind him. She looked at him warmly. Bloodpaw turned away at the sound of his mentor's voice.

"I think it's about time you learned to battle," Sweepwhisker padded toward the apprentices. Bloodpaw forced a purr as apprentice and mentor headed for the training clearing.

**Battle training in next chapter! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Please R&R! Third Chapter Here!!!!**

**Chapter 3**

Bloodpaw hissed in frustration. His mentor had been teaching him the same move for three days, and he _still_ couldn't get it right.

Sweepwhisker swished his tail in annoyance. "Come on, you can do better than that. Again." Both cats sprang to their paws, and Sweepwhisker dropped into a crouch. Bloodpaw pounced, and as Sweepwhisker dodged, Bloodpaw turned quickly and pounced again. He tried to knock Sweepwhisker off-balance, but he just skidded to a halt when Sweepwhisker batted him with sheathed paws. A vision of the fox, Frenzy, slashed his head like a claw; his brother's last shrieks filled his ears, and he yelped as the fox's paws swiped at him instead of Sweepwhisker's. The vision faded as he staggered backward.

"Fox-dung!" Bloodpaw snarled in frustration. He always backed away when Sweepwhisker swiped, and he never got the second pounce right. He drooped his tail. "I'll never get it right."

Sweepwhisker laid his tail-tip gently on Bloodpaw's shoulder. "You'll get it right. Come on, why don't we get in some hunting practice?" Bloodpaw nodded, kneading his paws on the damp, springy ground. He hadn't hunted in hours, and he was itching to be out on the marsh.

Sweepwhisker led him back to camp, gathering Badgertail and Reedclaw for the rest of the hunting patrol. Bloodpaw was relieved that there were all toms; Juniperpaw had been mooning over him for days, and Bloodpaw had had the misfortune of being in every single patrol with her.

Now, he could pad freely without his self-conscious getting in the way.

He parted his jaws, taking in the scents of reeds, heron, and vole. He soon spotted a vole scrounging around the roots of some cattails. Bloodpaw dropped to his belly and started to slide. He crept forward slowly, his belly fur brushing the moist ground of the riverbed. He raised himself, braced, then pounced. He landed square on the vole's back, and bit down hard on its spine.

He buried his kill, and headed over to where a heron was fishing in the river. He saw that Sweepwhisker was stalking towards it on the other side, a slight mist shrouding his vision. The heron was busily skewing fish with its beak; Sweepwhisker pounced once toward it, scaring the bird into hasty flight. Reedclaw leaped onto its back from the other side, bringing it back down. The huge bird was snapping its beak at the cats, and its wingbeats stirred the fur along Bloodpaw's pelt. He crashed through the reeds just behind the heron's head, and bit down hard on its feathery neck. It gave a harsh cry, then went limp. Reedclaw stood, his eyes shining.

"That was great teamwork," He panted, "What a kill; we should give this to the queens and elders to share." Bloodpaw licked his lips, imagining sinking his teeth into the warm flesh of the heron.

"This bird would feed any cat for a moon," Badgertail mused as he joined the group; he dropped two voles at his feet. "Come on, let's drag it back to camp."

"Great catch, Bloodpaw. Your finishing off topped this catch," Reedclaw praised, and Bloodpaw curled his tail in delight.

Bloodpaw looked to Sweepwhisker, expecting at least a bit of praise from his own mentor. But Sweepwhisker just nodded to Reedclaw and started dragging the bird back to camp. Bloodpaw dug up his vole in silence, disappointment in his eyes.

* * *

"Hey, Bloodpaw. Nice catch." Juniperpaw purred as Bloodpaw deposited his kill on the pile. He rolled his eyes and helped her drag the bird to the nursery entrance. Juniperpaw dragged her piece, and an awkward silence separated the two apprentices.

Juniperpaw cleared his throat. "So…Was the bird hard to kill?" she asked in a small voice. Bloodpaw grunted, unable to answer. He parted the delicately weaved reed stems that guarded the nursery, and mewed a greeting to Cloverwillow and her kits.

"Hey, look! It's Bloodki—paw!" Marshkit squealed, her shimmering green eyes trained on the heron. "Whoa! Did the patrol catch that for us?"

Bloodpaw purred, setting the heron outside of the den. "Yes. But the other half goes to the elders." Marshkit squeaked in excitement and headed back inside. She came back a moment later with her sister Swankit by her side.

Cloverwillow burst into a _mrrow_ of amusement as the two sisters struggled to reach Bloodpaw first; Bloodpaw tore the heron in half, giving the nursery the plump waist.

"Thank you, Bloodpaw. You are going to be one of the best hunters in the Clan." Cloverwillow purred, and Bloodpaw nearly burst with pride. Beside him, Juniperpaw's eyes were full of affection for the dark tabby.

Bloodpaw and Juniperpaw meowed a goodbye and delivered the rest of the bird to the elders. After the apprentices had each chosen their own fresh-kill, Skullpaw and Nightpaw approached with smug giggles escaping their lips.

Bloodpaw felt his ears grow hot with embarrassment as he realized how close Juniperpaw was sitting next to him. "What do you want?" he snapped.

Skullpaw put on a look of fake innocence. "Oh sorry, did we disturb you and your _girlfriend? _Hope you don't smear her with too much of your bloody gaze." Bloodpaw felt rage bubbling inside him, and he heard Juniperpaw hiss at her brother sharply.

"You should be talking, Skull-breath! Why, I hardly see you and Nightpaw separated ever since Bloodpaw's warrior ceremony." Skullpaw shifted his paws, taken aback by Juniperpaw's retort.

He backed away as Bloodpaw stood, bristling fiercely. "One more step, and I'll claw your ears off." He spoke calmly, but his voice had taken on a deadly tone; Nightpaw flicked her tail over Skullpaw's shoulder, and the two backed off.

Juniperpaw gave him a look of relief, and Bloodpaw saw her eyes fill with sympathy. "Skullpaw doesn't mean to tease you; he's just a stupid furball." She tried to lay her tail-tip on his shoulder, but Bloodpaw turned his back on her.

Bloodpaw breathed a sigh of exasperation. "Don't you get it? I've never liked either of you. Especially your brother." He stalked off toward the apprentice's den, hatred and hurt filling his heart.

He worked hard to fight back hot tears from streaming down his face, but luckily he could weep in peace without anyone disturbing him.

_No one respects me. No one loves me. I am alone, and I must always fight for my place._ He huffed bitterly, wiping away the last of his tears with a paw.

_I must work for my place._

**Sorry for it being shorter than my usual (which is pretty long already), but I was kind of at a writer's block. _Please Review!!_**_  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**Here it is!!!!!!!!!! Excitement!!!!!!!!**

**Chapter 4**

Juniperpaw padded away, hurt by Bloodpaw's harsh words toward her.

"_Don't you get it? I've never liked either of you, especially your brother."_ Juniperpaw tried to approach Bloodpaw and apologize again for her brother's actions. But as she padded his way, she heard Bloodpaw talking with Leopardpaw at the entrance to the apprentices' den.

"You don't understand. Juniperpaw has been pestering me for days; she's the cat that is always, _always_ trying too hard to be nice to me because…because of Duskkit." Juniperpaw stopped short. She couldn't hear Leopardpaw's answer, her heart was pounding too hard. She felt her heart sink all the way down to the tip of her tail.

Leopardpaw spotted her as Juniperpaw raced out of the camp, hearing faint sobs escaping her lips.

"Now look what you've done, Bloodpaw. You've crushed her spirit." Leopardpaw angrily turned to Bloodpaw, who was staring in her direction with eyes narrowed.

"Good. Finally, I can have some peace away from her." Bloodpaw scoffed, and Leopardpaw bristled.

"Have you no heart? She was coming over here to apologize; she told me." Bloodpaw opened his eyes wider again, and Leopardpaw saw that he had been hiding his guilt. He looked down and shuffled his paws.

"Oh." Bloodpaw mewed softly. "I-I should…"

"You should go apologize." Leopardpaw demanded, but her voice was soft. Bloodpaw raised his head and nodded.

"I will." he meowed, and raced out of camp after Juniperpaw. "Juniperpaw, wait! Come back! I didn't mean to—"

* * *

Juniperpaw sat in the center of the training clearing, her head bowed and ears drooping. Bloodpaw slowed and approached behind her, suddenly tense. Juniperpaw turned his way, and Bloodpaw's heart stung with shame as he saw the sorrow and pain swimming in her eyes.

"Um, Juniperpaw." Bloodpaw began, but his throat tightened as Juniperpaw turned away from him angrily.

"Oh I'm sorry. I was too busy being a _pest_ to notice you." Juniperpaw growled sourly, and Bloodpaw looked at the ground.

"Juniperpaw…what you heard with Leopardpaw…I'm sorry." Bloodpaw felt silly; how would Juniperpaw forgive him for something so cruel? He remembered his dismissal as he saw her run out of camp, and felt a twinge of regret.

Juniperpaw pricked her ears and turned around. To Bloodpaw's surprise, she looked apologetic. "…It's alright. I'm sorry it felt like I was pestering you. I promise, I'll stop." Bloodpaw looked up at her hopefully, and was delighted to see her expression was happier.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Come on; want to go hunting with me?" Bloodpaw offered, and Juniperpaw brightened. She nodded, and the two went to join the next hunting patrol.

* * *

Quickpaw shrugged off the feeling of jealousy as Skullpaw and Nightpaw walked in front of him, side by side. His eyes narrowed, and he went to find Bloodpaw.

Bloodpaw had been his best friend since his apprentice ceremony, and though they rarely spoke to each other they shared a special trait: both of their littermates had died in kit hood, and both were filled with the same hatred and scorn. Though Quickpaw was still young, he felt that he could overcome any challenge that got in his way of being a leader; whether of a Clan, or of a group of friends.

He had been secretly helping Bloodpaw with his training, and taught him to overcome his fear and replace it with power. Bloodpaw had come to Quickpaw asking for advice on what to do about the constant visions of the fox getting in the way of his training; Quickpaw had agreed in helping him, and had noticed Bloodpaw's improvement on not showing weakness when an enemy was hurt or advancing. Bloodpaw was a good student, and Quickpaw thought that he would make a great ally in future times.

Quickpaw padded past the nursery, snorting in annoyance as Marshkit and Swankit stumbled around his paws and stepped on his tail.

"Buzz off," Quickpaw snapped, and the two kits backed away toward their mother. Cloverwillow gave him a stern look, but Quickpaw ignored it and continued walking toward his destination.

"Hello, Quickpaw. Ready so soon for battle training?" His mentor, Beechfur, greeted him, licking his muzzle as he finished his fish.

Quickpaw grunted, and padded past him and toward the training clearing. Quickpaw loathed his mentor deeply; he knew that Beechfur was trying his hardest to train his apprentice correctly, but he just wouldn't understand Quickpaw's reasoning about power and revenge. Beechfur often showed his worry when Quickpaw didn't respond to his actions, just grunted and continued without listening to his advice.

Beechfur followed close behind, and Quickpaw felt a twinge of satisfaction as he picked up apprehension from him. Beechfur caught up to him when they reached the clearing, and Quickpaw stopped. He sat down and twitched his tail, feeling bored.

"All right," Beechfur began, dropping into a crouch. "Now, this is a new defense move. Once you get into a crouch, wait for the other cat to spring and then roll to the side and nudge their flank so they lose their balance and," he demonstrated, and swiped fiercely at some unseen opponent. "Like that. Now you try, on me." Quickpaw dropped into a crouch similar to Beechfur's, and when Beechfur pounced he did a perfect roll to the side and knocked Beechfur hard onto the ground. With unsheathed claws, Quickpaw began to scratch his mentor lightly on his flank, and Beechfur just managed to escape his clutches.

Beechfur's yellow eyes were wide with alarm as Quickpaw leaped at him again, and he quickly took up another stance that Quickpaw hadn't learned. He held his claws in, not wanting to harm his apprentice. Quickpaw kept coming, in a frenzy now, slashing and hissing at his mentor as if he were the enemy.

"Quickpaw, stop! That's enough, Quickpaw!" Beechfur exclaimed as Quickpaw pinned him to the ground. Quickpaw raised his paw, claws glinting in the sun; he saw Beechfur's terrified expression, and sense came back to him. His harsh gaze melted, and he stepped off his mentor in shame. Beechfur scrambled up onto his feet, gazing at Quickpaw fearfully.

"Well. I would hate to be your opponent in battle," Beechfur's voice quivered as he spoke. "…I must say though, Quickpaw, never, under any circumstances, do you attack your mentor with unsheathed claws." Beechfur was trying to regain authority over his apprentice, though he saw that Quickpaw wasn't listening.

Quickpaw nodded absently, and Beechfur sighed as they walked back to camp, an uneasy silence spread between them.

**I made Quickpaw an evil little fellow, didn't I? I read a Hunger Games fic the other day, and it mentioned being a sociopath--a person who has no empathy, and enjoys other people's pain. Interesting, huh? Now, press the nice little button that gives you the honor to review. Come on, press it; ya know ya wants to...**


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